Watch: Florida Man Points Gun At Police Officer Before Being Fatally Shot, Bodycam Video Shows
A Tampa police officer has first ordered the Florida man he shot over the July 4th weekend to drop his gun multiple times.
The Florida police recently released a body cam video of the incident involving Officer Bryan Velazquez, 33, who shot John Reuben Turbe Jr. when the latter aimed a gun at the police officer during a foot chase.
Turbe, 40, later died at a hospital.
The Tampa Police Department said the fatal incident happened past 10 p.m. Sunday when the Tampa police responded to a call about an altercation near the 3700 block of Temple Street in the area, where one man was said to be armed with a gun.
The Tampa police later on released about two minutes of the video footage taken on Velasquez bodycam leading up to the shooting of Turbe.
Velazquez is seen in the video stopping at a gas station to inquire about the reported incident and the suspect’s whereabouts and provide a description. Velazquez then exits the premises of the gas station and proceeds to the parking lot, where he sees a guy armed with a pistol.
A gunshot could be heard from the background and two shots before the police officer started running towards the suspect asking him to put the gun down.
“Hey, put the gun down,” Velazquez yells to Turbe. “Put it down! Put it down!”
The officer can then be seen drawing his service weapon and continuing the chase when the suspect runs.
“You’re going to get shot,” Velazques says as he catches up to Turbe.
“Put the gun down now!” he yelled again, as ontinued for about two more times. “I’m right here, put the gun down!”
Turbe then seems to turn around and approach the officer, one hand holding a gun. He then seems to lift the pistol towards Velazquez — the police officer — who still repeatedly asked him to drop the gun.
Four gunshots can then be heard as the video freezes. Velazquez can be heard calling for backup as footage switches to another officer conducting chest compressions on Turbe, who is bleeding on the ground.
Authorities said no one else was hurt in the shooting incident.
Velazquez, who joined the Tampa police in 2019 and has prior law enforcement experience, was then placed on administrative leave according to reports.
The shooting also remains under investigation.
Meanwhile, Florida Police have yet to release the story of the initial fight that prompted the police response.
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